11 years ago
When it comes to having the last word, Clint Musslewhite knows what he’s talking about.
Armed with a genetically-blessed voice, a concise way with words and an intimate knowledge of sports, the new Bartlesville resident has spent a good chunk of his life in the best seat in the house.
Like the center in football, the gifted public announcer gets to handle the ball on every play — but his name never shows up in the boxscore.
Musslewhite, a Texas product, whose wife Stephanie is a 1993 Bartlesville High School graduate, has already made his voice known to local sports fans.
In addition to handling the microphone at Custer Stadium for the Bartlesville High School Bruin varsity football games this past season, he also is the main “sub” for Oklahoma Wesleyan University basketball games, when the primary public announcer is attending choir practice.
Musslewhite also is the regular Tulsa 66ers announcer.
And, from 2008-2011, he served in that capacity for all but one year at the Lone Star Conference basketball tournament held in Bartlesville.
And, that was before Musslewhite knew he would be moving his family here.
If that’s not enough, Musslewhite said he also is the public announcer for all the Texas high school basketball, football and baseball state championship games.
“I’m pretty tenacious when it comes to knock on doors and getting gigs,” explained Musslewhite about his time-consuming hobby. “Bringing personality to the mike also helps. I have a pretty solid background in each of the sports I cover. … My job isn’t to be the star of the show. That’s what the game is for.”
Even though Musslewhite now is putting food on the table as an representative of the local Keller Williams Real Estate office, he worked eight years full-time as a public announcer/director of entertainment in either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers organizations.
He began his pro announcing pursuits with the Astros’ AA affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Musslewhite then moved to the AAA affiliate in Round Rock, Texas, which became a part of the Texas Rangers organization after Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan bought the Texas Rangers.
“Nolan Ryan owned all the baseball teams I worked for,” Musslewhite explained.
In 2005, became the director of entertainment for the Round Rock franchise.
Musslewhite’s path to public announcing began during his high school years in Longview, Texas.
From there, he attended Baylor University, where he announced for some of minor sports, eventually advancing to announce for the men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as baseball and other sports.
During his coming-of-age years, Musslewhite developed much respect for some of the storied public announcers in this part of the country — specifically Chuck Morgan with the Rangers, Murphy Martin with the Dallas Cowboys and Kevin McCarthy with the Dallas Mavericks.
‘‘Those are my three original influences,” McCarty explained.
His tenure at Baylor covered both the end of the Dave Bliss era as head men’s basketball coach and the first two years of Bliss’ replacement, Scott Drew.
Musslewhite’s eight years working in a minor league front office and serving as a public announcer yielded several good memories.
He has sat face-to-face with Josh Hamilton, spent leisure time at Nolan Ryan’s ranch, visited actor Will Ferrell when Ferrell performed a skit one night at the Round Rock ballpark, parked at the same table as Ron Washington and enjoyed other encounters of the memorable kind.
During his many experiences, Musslewhite has tried to develop his own style as an announcer.
One of his unique traits is to extend the word ‘‘two,” during game announcing.
The enjoyment of calling games is to try to inject personality into announcing without detracting from the event or being annoying, Musslewhite said.
Musslewhite attempts to enhance the atmosphere ‘‘and make it a home team advantage. You’re adding to the excitement of each basket or each scoring play. ... It’s just being able to throw some quick jabs in,” which hopefully will bring a chuckle or a smile to some of the fans.
One of his greatest thrills as a public announcer was working during a rehab appearance in the mid-2000s by Roger Clemens, in Corpus Christi.
He also gets a special twinge whenever he gets to announce games in Cowboy Stadium.
And, Musslewhite always gets the last word.
Armed with a genetically-blessed voice, a concise way with words and an intimate knowledge of sports, the new Bartlesville resident has spent a good chunk of his life in the best seat in the house.
Like the center in football, the gifted public announcer gets to handle the ball on every play — but his name never shows up in the boxscore.
Musslewhite, a Texas product, whose wife Stephanie is a 1993 Bartlesville High School graduate, has already made his voice known to local sports fans.
In addition to handling the microphone at Custer Stadium for the Bartlesville High School Bruin varsity football games this past season, he also is the main “sub” for Oklahoma Wesleyan University basketball games, when the primary public announcer is attending choir practice.
Musslewhite also is the regular Tulsa 66ers announcer.
And, from 2008-2011, he served in that capacity for all but one year at the Lone Star Conference basketball tournament held in Bartlesville.
And, that was before Musslewhite knew he would be moving his family here.
If that’s not enough, Musslewhite said he also is the public announcer for all the Texas high school basketball, football and baseball state championship games.
“I’m pretty tenacious when it comes to knock on doors and getting gigs,” explained Musslewhite about his time-consuming hobby. “Bringing personality to the mike also helps. I have a pretty solid background in each of the sports I cover. … My job isn’t to be the star of the show. That’s what the game is for.”
Even though Musslewhite now is putting food on the table as an representative of the local Keller Williams Real Estate office, he worked eight years full-time as a public announcer/director of entertainment in either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers organizations.
He began his pro announcing pursuits with the Astros’ AA affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Musslewhite then moved to the AAA affiliate in Round Rock, Texas, which became a part of the Texas Rangers organization after Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan bought the Texas Rangers.
“Nolan Ryan owned all the baseball teams I worked for,” Musslewhite explained.
In 2005, became the director of entertainment for the Round Rock franchise.
Musslewhite’s path to public announcing began during his high school years in Longview, Texas.
From there, he attended Baylor University, where he announced for some of minor sports, eventually advancing to announce for the men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as baseball and other sports.
During his coming-of-age years, Musslewhite developed much respect for some of the storied public announcers in this part of the country — specifically Chuck Morgan with the Rangers, Murphy Martin with the Dallas Cowboys and Kevin McCarthy with the Dallas Mavericks.
‘‘Those are my three original influences,” McCarty explained.
His tenure at Baylor covered both the end of the Dave Bliss era as head men’s basketball coach and the first two years of Bliss’ replacement, Scott Drew.
Musslewhite’s eight years working in a minor league front office and serving as a public announcer yielded several good memories.
He has sat face-to-face with Josh Hamilton, spent leisure time at Nolan Ryan’s ranch, visited actor Will Ferrell when Ferrell performed a skit one night at the Round Rock ballpark, parked at the same table as Ron Washington and enjoyed other encounters of the memorable kind.
During his many experiences, Musslewhite has tried to develop his own style as an announcer.
One of his unique traits is to extend the word ‘‘two,” during game announcing.
The enjoyment of calling games is to try to inject personality into announcing without detracting from the event or being annoying, Musslewhite said.
Musslewhite attempts to enhance the atmosphere ‘‘and make it a home team advantage. You’re adding to the excitement of each basket or each scoring play. ... It’s just being able to throw some quick jabs in,” which hopefully will bring a chuckle or a smile to some of the fans.
One of his greatest thrills as a public announcer was working during a rehab appearance in the mid-2000s by Roger Clemens, in Corpus Christi.
He also gets a special twinge whenever he gets to announce games in Cowboy Stadium.
And, Musslewhite always gets the last word.